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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · bulb · scale · foot · wax · club · bowl · fall

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fall — to drop
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. scale — in music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. club — a group
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fall — the season
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com